adidas’ hold on the position as America’s second biggest footwear brand may soon let up. In Nike’s earning call Thursday, CEO John Donahoe says its forecasts see Jordan Brand “well on its way to becoming the second largest footwear brand in North America.”
Nike, of course, has long held the number one spot — but Jordan Brand alone surpassing adidas would be a remarkable feat and one that only reinforces the Swoosh’s dominance.
Jordan Brand’s total revenue for the 12 months leading up to May 31 was more than $6.5 billion, up from $5.1 billion for the same time period a year prior. This marks a 35 percent rise, making Jordan Brand by far the fastest growing segment for Nike. Nike’s total revenue for the same period was 20.7 billion, up 17 percent from nearly 18.8 billion the year prior.
Performance sneakers are growing faster than retros within Jordan Brand, which may come as a surprise given the cache the latter has within sneaker culture. Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, and Zion Williamson now all have their own signature basketball sneakers for Jordan Brand, and Donahue says the company plans to build out those franchises even further.
Internationally, Jordan Brand is still roughly 10 points behind where it is in North America, which Donahue touts as a target for growth still to be captured. On the world’s scale, adidas’ position is much more secure — but a shift in North American rank would still mark a major W for Nike and Jordan Brand.
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Ian Servantes is a writer and editor based out of Brooklyn. He's previously covered fashion, sneakers, and pop culture for outlets including Input, Highsnobiety, and Complex.
